1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for searching for successive moving images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image capturing apparatuses, such as digital cameras, commonly record moving images according to the DCF standard, and it is thus possible to determine whether the recorded moving images belong to a group of files of moving images shot in succession, based on a numerical sequence of file names. For example, if file MVI_0001.MP4 is the leading image of moving images shot in succession and there is a file named MVI_0002.MP4, it is most efficient to check whether MVI_0001.MP4 and MVI_0002.MP4 are moving images shot in succession.
For example, there is a method as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-328034 in which, in the case where a temporally successive moving image is divided and the divided moving images are recorded with different file names in a plurality of recording media, data of these moving images is temporally reproduced in succession.
However, the processing takes time when associated information is obtained from all of the moving image files without reference to a numerical sequence of file names, in order to find out which files belong to a group of files of moving images shot in succession.
Also, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-328034, the plurality of files of moving images recorded in a divided manner are recorded such that link information is added to each moving image file, the link information indicating the moving image file temporally subsequent to the corresponding moving image file, and data of the plurality of moving images can temporally be reproduced in succession based on the link information. However, such link information makes searching for a moving image file that was recorded temporally before the moving image file selected by a user difficult, for example. This can be overcome if, for example, link information has been obtained in advance from all the pieces of moving image data and it has been determined in advance whether they are moving images shot in succession, but such processing takes time and needs a large memory.
Also, if moving image data obtained by combining the divided files exceeds the upper limit of the file size of a file system of a destination, combining of the files will fail.
Further, when a still image is shot during a shooting of a moving image, a file number next to that of the moving image file currently being recorded is assigned to the still image, and thus moving images have no consecutive file numbers. Therefore, continuity determination based on file names may be insufficient.